util-linux
The util-linux suite contains userspace utilities for Linux specific system management including device control, terminal logins, process management, and tty messaging. It is a fundamental block of userspace utilities for Linux systems.
Gentoo includes util-linux package in the @system set.
Installation
USE flags
USE flags for sys-apps/util-linux Various useful Linux utilities
audit
|
Use sys-process/audit to emit audit messages about system changes |
build
|
!!internal use only!! DO NOT SET THIS FLAG YOURSELF!, used for creating build images and the first half of bootstrapping [make stage1] |
caps
|
build setpriv helper (run programs with diff capabilities) |
cramfs
|
build mkfs/fsck helpers for cramfs filesystems |
cryptsetup
|
Use sys-fs/cryptsetup to have built-in dm-verity in libmount |
fdformat
|
build fdformat (floppy disk format) |
hardlink
|
build hardlink program |
kill
|
build the kill program |
logger
|
build the logger program |
magic
|
Add support for file type detection via magic bytes (usually via libmagic from sys-apps/file) |
ncurses
|
Add ncurses support (console display library) |
nls
|
Add Native Language Support (using gettextGNU locale utilities) |
pam
|
build runuser helper |
python
|
Add optional support/bindings for the Python language |
readline
|
Enable support for libreadline, a GNU line-editing library that almost everyone wants |
rtas
|
Add support for the Run Time Abstraction Services (RTAS) |
selinux
|
!!internal use only!! Security Enhanced Linux support, this must be set by the selinux profile or breakage will occur |
slang
|
Add support for the slang text display library (it's like ncurses, but different) |
split-usr
|
Enable behavior to support maintaining /bin, /lib*, /sbin and /usr/sbin separately from /usr/bin and /usr/lib* |
static-libs
|
Build static versions of dynamic libraries as well |
su
|
build the su program |
suid
|
install mount/umount as setuid so non-root users may mount/umount devices, and wall/write as setgid so non-root users can notify other users |
systemd
|
Enable use of systemd-specific libraries and features like socket activation or session tracking |
test
|
Enable dependencies and/or preparations necessary to run tests (usually controlled by FEATURES=test but can be toggled independently) |
tty-helpers
|
install the mesg/wall/write tools for talking to local users |
udev
|
Enable virtual/udev integration (device discovery, power and storage device support, etc) |
unicode
|
Add support for Unicode |
kill
Enabling the kill USE flag will typically creates a conflict between the sys-process/procps and sys-apps/util-linux packages. Both packages include the kill command, and both packages are capable of conditionally building the kill utility by setting the kill USE flag (in fact, sys-apps/coreutils also includes support for a kill command).
Gentoo toolchain developers have decided the sys-process/procps package will be the default provider of the kill utility for the @system set.
tty-helpers
The mesg, wall, and write utilities are installed using the tty-helpers USE flag. This can be viewed by scrolling down in USE flags section above.
For security reasons, these utilities are disabled by default.
Emerge
root #emerge --ask --oneshot sys-apps/util-linux--oneshot is used in the above command because util-linux is included in the @system set. It is typically not necessary to include it in a @selected set (/var/lib/porage/world file).Usage
There are many utilities included in with the util-linux package. Installed utilities can be obtained by the following command:
user $cat /var/db/pkg/sys-apps/util-linux*/CONTENTS | grep bin | awk '{print $NF}' FS=/ | cut -d " " -f 1Alternatively the following command can be used if the app-portage/portage-utils suite is installed:
user $qlist sys-apps/util-linux | grep binSee also
- GNU Core Utilities - Standard GNU file, text, and shell utilities.